Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

Abuela opens the story lamenting how no one is going to visit her in her new apartment. A temporary situation has caused her to be in her own apartment and, in her words, away from Natalia, Jax, & Rashad. As the three teens help her unpack, they come across an old photo of Abuela with her girlfriend at the time. This prompts a hard and heartfelt conversation of the time of Stonewall and magically transports everyone (including Rocky, the bird) to the night when The Stonewall Riots begin.

As an introductory text on Stonewall and LGBTQ+ rights until very recently (and please note, I'm writing this in May 2022) this suffices. For the characters, they see how they can't be as true to themselves in the past as in present day. Natalia is trans and wouldn't be able to be as freely out as she is in the story. Jax is POC and gay and he would have to hide his true self. Jax is potentially non-binary and disabled (they have a cane throughout the story), possibly gay or ace (it was hard to get a read on their representation). Abuela is bi. The characters get to meet historical figures such as Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera and learn how they can protest or how they can work change be it past or present. Rashad likely has the biggest growth in the story as he also gets to better understand intersectional work that needs done. All the teens see how it was and when returned to the present, are determined to keep up the fight.

There are concerns with this title. First, these are teen characters and they feel to me like they are closer to late high school. The notion of going into the past with these clueless characters is a nice set-up, but I kept thinking "how do they do this without messing up the timeline?" At one point Abeula is locked up and I wonder why we didn't hear more about HER struggle as we bounced from teen to teen. Second, Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera as a narrators and somewhat of an info dump to fill in the historical gaps. It didn't keep the narrative flowing when they came in and it was some what of a dramatic use of them. We also don't really get information about what happened to them, especially Marsh P. Johnson, at the end when there is a sort of overview of the tumultuous years after. (No where it is mentioned what happened to her, at least not obviously). I do have questions about the accuracy of this and perhaps, being at the beginning of the Stonewall Riots was not the best way to tell this particular story (especially when I see it was disputed who was there and who started it, which there is a nod to in the work).

The artwork is enjoyable, active, and animated. As in other history comics, there is an intro by someone who experienced the history and an epilogue by the creator.

Overall, if you need graphic novel nonfiction in a tween, teen collection, this will suffice, but better books on the topic exist and it might not have been the best way to present the information when it seems that accounts vary widely.

A well-written and educational fictional graphic novel of the Stonewall Riots in 1969. I love that Macmillan is putting this series together, Graphic novels can go a long way to make important events and people more accessible to children. This book is a great overview of the oppression the Queer community protested against while also serving as a throughline of that oppression from the past to the present.

I’m impressed and thrilled to see this subject included in a line of graphic novels about history for young people. A group of queer students find out what life for them would have been like in the 1960s — no acceptance, no being out, getting fired, the threat of violence, the possibility of being arrested just for being who you were…

Going back in time, envisioning themselves in those days, gives them a new appreciation for the hardships gay, lesbian, and trans people faced. There are debates over how much to get involved, the best ways to fight oppression, and a wide variety of opinions, emphasizing that there are different kinds of resistance and no one right way to stand up for oneself. There’s also an overview of other struggles LGBTQ people have lived through in recent times, including mention of Gay Pride, the AIDS epidemic, and marriage equality.

The structure of this historical graphic novel is simpler than some of the others in the series, but the questions it raises are important and immediate.

A historical representation of the Stonewall Protests told in a time travel adventure with three young adults and their grandmother. While the text of this book is good and having three displaced in time teenagers dealing with things in their own way, I felt the illustrations often didn't match up with what the text was trying to say. In scenes of the "riots" or when outdoor places were meant to be crowded, the illustrations showed a handful of people. This incongruence kept booting me out of the story, but the content is really important and I'm glad this is a way to get it into younger hands.

I really enjoyed this installment on History Comics. Kids that are readers of the "I Survived" or "Magic Treehouse" series will love traveling back in time to experience the Stonewall Riots.

The art style is really nice. I wish that some of the action was a little clearer.

I wish that the book could have gone into more detail with the history of the Stonewall Riots but this is a good introductory book to teach kids about what the riots were.

I will definitely encourage this in my library. I also need students to be aware of the time travel aspect.

This was an interesting way to learn about a historical topic rarely seen in most schools. It starts out with a letter of introduction from a LGBTQ historian. The graphic novel is a group of three modern kids helping their abuela move and they find a picture of her with another woman. Abuela she starts telling them what it used to be like before being bisexual was considered okay. She not only tells them about it she decides to show them and somehow magically transfers them back to 1969. She takes them to the Stonewall Inn but doesn’t pay attention to the date. They just so happen to get there on the date the riots start. I was under the assumption that the riots were a one night event but this made it sound like it was a few nights. In the back the author even admits that some things are not true. Obviously the two major figures in the stonewall riots did not meet three time traveling kids, however the author does make a very good point that history looks different to different people. So while there is no “official” account of what happened at Stonewall there are multiple different perspectives. After talking about stonewall the book goes both forward and backward into the LGBTQ movement including the fight, gay marriage, various alliances, and organizations, etc. Overall this book was a successful introduction to the topic that would be good for middle school and might get other kids interested in finding out what really happened.

An important part of LGBTQ+ history retold in a very modern way. This story starts off with three young LGBTQ+ teens and one of their queer grandmother’s. As she explains and brings them along to the pains of the past the LGBTQ+ community has faced, each one of them finds their purpose to keep fighting in the present day. I think this is a super important comic for any age to read. It is simple, to the point and enlightening even to those who may be learning about the Stonewall Riots for the very first time. I do hope that this book lands in the hands of those seeking to learn and how to keep pushing for positive changes within and for the LGBTQ+ community!

This was a good overview of what led to the Stonewall Riots in 1969. I liked that it also gave a bit of history of actions that occurred prior to Stonewall, as well as some highlights of what has come since, with an overall sense that there is still a lot of work to be done.

This just wasn't it. I was hoping to find another graphic novel that was history related. I don't see this holding a kid's interest. I wanted to love this, but it was so pedantic.

History Comics: The Stonewall Riots places a group of modern teenagers and their older friend back in the time of the riots. Each teenager has a different reaction to the events, but all are left with a better understanding of the movement for gay civil rights and an increased interest in maintaining and fighting for those same rights. While the actions of the characters were mostly relatable, they did come off as whiny at times. Overall, this book provides an easy to read and engaging look at a historical event that many teens probably know only the name of, if that.

A middle-grade graphic novel in which a cheerful bi abuelita takes her queer chosen family back in time to the Stonewall Inn in 1969 for a history lesson on the ongoing struggle for LGBTQ rights against racism, police brutality, homophobia & transphobia.

I think this graphic novel is a great way to teach younger generations about the Stonewall Inn Riots and LGBTQ history. I liked the art work and of course the queer grandma was extra cute. I do think the only downside of this book is that it felt like it was talking down to teens and kids, like they couldn't possibly fathom the hardships their queer elders went through. Having some of the characters in the book laugh off the real violence that was happening made the story feel very disconnected at times. I think this does a disservice to Gen Z and younger generations who may be reading this book. It definitely felt like it was written from the perspective of someone who thinks kids are only caught up in their phones and don't care about things happening in the real world. I'm not sure if other books in this series are similar to this one, but I would hope in the future that this series discusses important historical events, but not at the cost of making fun of the book's intended audience.

Overall, I think it would do the job of illustrating what happened at Stonewall and the struggles of the LGBTQ community. I liked that there was a preface to give information to set up the story and that it continued on after to the era of AIDS. I found the main characters unrealistic and not relatable. While I’m sure there are plenty of teens that aren’t informed about Stonewall, AIDS, or how the LGBTQ community was during this time period, I found the characters to be ignorant and callus toward the hardships they were encountering. Most teens that I have met have a general awareness or idea of the danger that queer elders faced. This book didn’t give teens enough credit.

Overall, I think this is an important text for kids to read. It explores the beginnings of the Gay liberation movement. I thought it gave some great details and was a good starter for kids. I wish it did give some more backmatter with books on The StoneWall Riot or a timeline for people to read. I also thought that the part about what happened after stonewall was excellent. I do wish Stonewall go something similar.
The part of the book centering on Stonewall was a bit disjointed and confusing. Since that part was more the characters experiencing the events first handed, it definitely felt like some things were missed or not well explained. I also struggled with two of the characters as they acted incredibly selfish and rude. It seems like the author was trying to show how different people act in the face of oppression, but it just came off as bad. I would have been fine with the first person style if there was something that summed up the riots after. They did make it clear that this is the catalyst to the gay liberation movement, but I wanted more on the actual event.

History Comics: The Stonewall Riots takes up back to those nights in 1969 inside and outside of the Stonewall Inn. Literally, characters from our time, Natalia, Jax and Rashad, are thrown back in time by Natalia's abuela and live the events for themselves.

I hadn't read the summary before reading or requesting this, and I was not expecting this. I was really expecting a more scholar version of the events, but that's my bad for not reading synopsis.
Overall, I liked this okay, but it's definitely aimed at teens and younger, I don't feel like I learned much and it mostly just made me want to read more about those nights and Queer history in general.
Still, I could recommend this to kids and I feel like the comic format was pretty smart, also while I didn't connect with all the characters, I did really feel a sort of connection with Natalia and I enjoyed following her the most.

All in all, a fast read that could have been more in depth but still teaches the basic of this historic moment.

A great addition to the History Comics series. Three teens, along with one's abuela, find themselves traveling through time back to the Stonewall Riots in 1969, learning firsthand what happened and how it still affects them as LGBTQ+ teens living in today's world.

I came for the story of Stonewall.
I stayed for the boosting of intersectional activism.
We are none of us free until we are all free, kids. This graphic novel has my whole heart.

History Comics: The Stonewall Riots was such an excellent book for readers of all ages. This book allows readers who were not around during this time period to experience what it was like for the LGBTQIA+ community living during these times. We can celebrate the progress made since 1969 and continue to strive for equality for all people no matter what. I highly recommend anyone, young or old, to read this book.